THE father of a soldier who died at the Deepcut Barracks has called for a David Kelly-style inquiry into her death.

Des James said excuses that a public inquiry could not be held into his daughter Cheryl's death because of an ongoing police investigation did not wash. He said the Government's speed to set up the Hutton inquiry proved that it was possible.

While acknowledging that weapons expert Mr Kelly held a much more senior position within the Ministry of Defence, he said that his daughter's life was just as important.

Private Cheryl James, from Llangollen, Denbighshire, was 18 when she was found shot dead at Deepcut barracks in Surrey, headquarters of the Royal Logistics Corps, in 1995.

An inquest on December 21 that year recorded an open verdict, but an Army board of inquiry held less than a month later concluded she had committed suicide.

Privates Geoff Gray, 17, from Seaham, County Durham, Sean Benton, 20, from Hastings, Sussex, and James Collinson, 17, from Perth, also died from gunshot wounds at Deepcut.

The families of all four victims do not believe they committed suicide by turning their own rifles on themselves, as Army investigations found.

Mr James, who now lives in Llanymynech, Powys, said, "My daughter was only 18 but she was no more or less an employee of the Ministry of Defence than Dr Kelly.

"How can the MoD say to us now that it is impossible to call a public inquiry?"

Geoff Gray, Pte Gray's father, said, "We were told from the very start that Surrey Police would be open minded and I was optimistic about the inquiry. But now our confidence is waning."

He renewed his calls for a public inquiry into the deaths, saying, "We need a Kelly-style transparent inquiry with a judge calling witnesses who have to answer questions. That is the only way we are going to get the answers."

Meanwhile, a police officer working on the investigation into the deaths of the four young soldiers has resigned from his job following an allegation of inappropriate behaviour.

Mr James said the latest twist in the families' protracted quest for the truth had undermined his confidence in the way police were handling the issue.

The investigation is examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the four young soldiers at thebarracks between 1995 and 2002.

Yesterday a Surrey Police spokesperson said, "A Detective Constable has been removed from the inquiry team after an allegation of inappropriate behaviour.

"The officer was removed from the inquiry immediately after the allegations were made and resigned from Surrey Police prior to appearing for a disciplinary hearing."

The force refused to comment on the nature of the allegations or say if the alleged misconduct took place during the course of the officer's investigations.

Surrey Police have spent a year re-examining the evidence along with an independent investigator, Frank Swann, who was hired by the families of the dead soldiers.

Officers planned to unveil the results of their investigation last month but the briefing was postponed due to "differences" between Mr Swann and the experts consulted by Surrey Police.

Mr James said the resignation had dented his confidence in the investigation.

"It is hanging in the balance. We feel let down," he said.

"I think it is important to remember that we have been very supportive of Surrey Police.

"Some of the other families have shouted about conspiracy theories but we have never done that. But we are going to have to do a lot of soul searching now before we decide how to go on."